Farmers Movement Archive

UP: Farmers decide to step up heat, next protest on September 17

LUCKNOW: With an intention to go full throttle in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, around 85 farmer organizations, under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), came together in Lucknow and held discussions for two days to decide the way forward for the movement against the three farm laws. A dedicated team of SKM UP was constituted in the meeting which will mobilise not just farmers but all other unions and organizations, including those of Dalits, women, labourers and teachers on September 17 ahead of the national body’s call for Bharat Bandh on September 27. Amid other decisions, the SKM UP has also decided to socially boycott BJP leaders, its allies and corporate giants, by showing them black flags and not letting their programmes take place. “SKM is a new experiment and UP is the first region to have a constituent body through which we plan to penetrate every house, town and village on issues such as repeal of three farm laws, exploitation of sugarcane farmers, rising electricity bill, stray animal menace, opening of toll plazas and demand for a reasonable hike in minimum support price (MSP),” said SKM leader Darshan Pal. Taking forward the ‘Mission Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand’, the farm leaders said that mobilisation will include holding several big rallies and mahapanchayats in UP ahead of elections. “Big rallies and mahapanchayats will be held in all 18 divisions and 75 districts of UP, on the lines of the Muzaffarnagar one. The BJP is using religion and caste to divide people who are all united for the farmer’s cause. We will not let that happen in UP and fight against both corporatisation and communalism,” said farmer leader Ashok Dhawale. “Mission UP is against the BJP government both at the state and central government that is exploitative in nature. We are not supporting any political party as of now but will decide upon an anti-BJP slogan in December,” he added.

The Times of India

2021-09-11

Lucknow